2017 Week 5 Preview

The halfway point of the 2017 season is already upon us. With four games in the books, we have learned a lot about the teams, but there is still so much more to play out in the final five weeks of the season. MSR is live with a preview show Thursday night at 8:00 PM (Facebook Live), and as well as broadcasting a handful of games on Friday night. A quick preview of the action you can find LIVE here on MSR Friday night is below.

Rockford (2-2, 1-0 OK Red) vs Grand Haven (0-4, 0-2 OK Red)

The Rams of Rockford began OK Red play last week with a 51-13 blowout win over Caledonia, and they now sit even on the year at 2-2. They will try to get back above .500 on Friday night when they host a Grand Haven team that has struggled so far in 2017. The Buccaneers have lost every game by at least 18 points so far. Rockford will look to extend their winning streak in this series, six in a row, which includes 31-14 in 2016.

#4 East Kentwood (4-0, 1-0 OK Red) vs Grandville (3-1, 2-0 OK Red)

The Falcons won their fourth straight game last week, a 46-32 victory over Forest Hills Northern, and they have solidified themselves at #4 in the Remax-United Power Poll. This week, they will host the Bulldogs of Grandville, who are winners of their first two OK Red games, including a 19-7 victory over Hudsonville last week. Last season, Grandville won their second straight in this series, a 46-3 blowout at home.

Hudsonville (1-3, 0-2 OK Red) vs West Ottawa (3-1, 2-0 OK Red)

The Eagles will be back at home on Friday night, where they look to snap a two-game losing streak and gain their first league win of the season. They face a West Ottawa team that has surprised many, as they are 3-1 on the year and tied with Grandville for the league lead. Hudsonville’s offense has struggled this season (11.25 PPG) but their defense has kept them in contests until late. For West Ottawa, they will look to utilize Xavier Wade as a dynamic skill player, as they have all season. They look to snap a losing streak against the Eagles that dates back to 2012, including a 56-22 Hudsonville win a season ago.

The Falcons are in unfamiliar territory, as they enter Week 5 coming off of a loss, their first regular season loss since October 3, 2014. They will look to bounce back against a Midland Bullock Creek team that has struggled in the TVC-Central so far. Last year, Freeland dominated this contest 53-0, their ninth straight win in the series.

Tri-County (0-4, 0-3 CSAA-Gold) @ Reed City (3-1, 3-0 CSAA-Gold)

The Vikings have had a slow start to the season, they currently sit on a five-game losing streak dating back to last season, though they have been a pair of their losses before ultimately falling short. This week, they have a tall task as they hit the road to Coyote Town to take on Reed City. The Coyotes are 3-1, winners of three in a row, and have been able to score at will (31.5 PPG). Last season, this game was not close, as Reed City walked away 55-0 winners on the road.

Coopersville (3-1, 1-1 OK-Blue) @ West Catholic (3-1, 1-0 OK-Blue)

The Broncos, one of the surprise teams in the area, continued their hot start with a 35-28 win over Sparta. Next up on their schedule lies the four-time defending Division 5 state champion West Catholic Falcons. West Catholic lost their season opener, but have had little trouble in their last three contests, including a shutout win over Spring Lake in the conference opener. The Falcons have won all eight meetings all time, including 35-0 last season.

The Comstock Park Panthers have played very well in their first four games, starting the year 4-0 for the first time since 2013. This week, they face Unity Christian, an opponent that dropped 66 points on them last season in a 35-point defeat. Unity Christian has lost two games in a row after a hot start, though they are still scoring points at a high frequency (33.5 PPG).

The Kalamzoo Area Game of the Week features a pair of undefeated teams squaring off in their SAC-Valley openers. Watervilet has featured a dominant offense, averaging 57 points per game, while Kalamazoo United has been almost equally as productive scoring 40.5 points per contest. Defensively, both of these teams have succeeded as well, allowing 18.75 and 20.5 points per game respectively. Watervilet is winners of two in a row in this series, including 34-19 last season.